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John Simmons BACK (1843-1898)

and Jane SPICER (1842-1885)

John Simmons Back and Jane Spicer were my 2x Great Grandparents.
(Click here to see their place in my
pedigree chart.) They married
by banns on 18 June 1864 at St. Nicholas in Brighton, Sussex. John was a
20 year old bachelor and bricklayer of 13 Oxford Street, Brighton (this was also
his Aunt Jane's address in 1865). His father's name was not recorded on
their marriage certificate. Jane was a 22 year old spinster of 2 Sion
Gardens, Brighton. Her father was named as William Spicer a
boatman. The witnesses to the marriage were Thomas Phillips and
Susannah Philips. The bride, groom and witnesses all signed their
names. I do not know if the Phillips were friends or relatives. When
the 1881 census was recorded a 54 year old Thomas Phillips and 49 year
old wife Susannah Phillips were living at 13 Cannon Street in Brighton.
Thomas was a carpenter and Susannah a charwoman and they had both been born in
Brighton.

John Simmons was born on 27 November 1843 at 6 Sion Gardens in Brighton,
Sussex. He was the son of
John Simmons
and
Ann Back
(1824-1847). He was baptised as John Simmons Back on 22
September 1844 at St. Nicholas, Brighton and this time he was said to be the son
of John Back and Ann, who were of Dorset Court in Brighton.
John was just 3½ years old when his mother died and nothing more is known of
his father. I believe John was raised by his mother's sister Jane Back
(1827-1902). In 1851, 7 year old John was living at 23 Gloucester Lane, Brighton
with his Aunt Jane and her husband. He was also living with Aunt Jane in 1861 and 1891. In 1861 they were living at 14 Oxford Court in
Brighton and John was a 17 year old bricklayer's labourer. On 2 September
1867 in Brighton, John was a witness to the marriage of his brother-in-law Thomas
Spicer (1847-?). His surname was recorded as Back in the 1851-1891
census. John may have died aged 54 years on 16 March 1898 in the Battle
Union Workhouse. He was then said to have been a bricklayer. The
cause of death was concussion and contusion of the brain from injuries to the
head caused by an accidental fall. An inquest was held on 19 March 1898 by
Charles Sheppard, coroner for the Hundred of Battell. (I don't know
for certain that the John who died in Battle Workhouse was the one born in
Brighton in 1843, but from the various census 1843 John would seem to be the
only candidate, and the occupation of bricklayer is consistent.)

Jane Spicer was baptised on 3 July 1842 at St. Nicholas in Brighton.
She was the eighth child and second daughter of
William Spicer
(1809-1868) and
Sophia Dixon
(1809-1862). At the time of her baptism the family were living in Great
Russell Street, Brighton. Her father and several earlier generations of
Spicers were fishermen. Her birth does not appear to have been registered,
although her cousin Jane Spicer born in February 1842 was and I have her
birth certificate in error. Jane died aged 42 years at 6 Gardener Street,
Portslade on 20 May 1885. Her cause of death was post partum haemorrhage
convulsions, which I assume was a result of the birth of a ninth child.
When the 1861 census was recorded she was living at home with her parents and
siblings at 2 Sion Gardens, Brighton and she was then a needlewoman.

When the 1871 census was recorded the family were living at 87 Coleman Street,
Brighton. They were sharing a small mid terrace "2 up, 2 down", with
John's aunt Fanny Gambling, nee Back, and her husband and daughter. In 1881 the family were living at
74 Clarenden Road, Hove. John's occupation was not given in the 1881
census.

John Simmons Back and Jane Spicer had 8 known children:

Jane Back
was baptised on 10 October 1864 at St. Nicholas, Brighton. Her birth
was registered in the third quarter of 1864 in the Brighton registration
district. In 1881 she was a domestic servant aged 16 years living at
11 Goldstone Villas Road, Hove in the household of John Foley a
tobacconist from Ireland.

Jane married Andrew Grey in the third
quarter of 1888 in Brighton.

Andrew was born about 1865 in Basingstoke,
Hampshire and was the son of William Grey (c1821-?). He died
aged 67 years and his death was registered in the second quarter of 1933 in
the Steyning registration district.
In 1881 Andrew had been living with his widower father and siblings in
Alexandra Terrace in Hove.

When the 1891 census was recorded the family were living at 4 Woodland
Terrace in Portslade and Andrew was a clerk. In 1901 Andrew was a
clerk at the gasworks and the family were living at 6 Colebrook Terrace in Southwick,
Sussex.

Andrew and
Jane had 2 known sons:

William
Andrew Grey
was born in the fourth quarter of 1888 in Portslade. He was 2 years old when the 1891
census was recorded and 12 in 1901.

John James Harold Grey
was born in the fourth quarter of 1889 in Portslade. He was a year
old in 1891 and his name was recorded as Harold. In 1901 he
was 11 and his name was recorded as John J. H.

Sophia Back was born
on 29 May 1866 in Preston, Sussex and baptised on 21 July 1871 at the
Church of Annunciation, Brighton.
As Sophia Beck she married
Alfred Nathaniel
Leggett White in 1887. (They have their own page.)

John Back was born on 29 October 1868 in Preston and baptised on 21
July 1871 at the Church of Annunciation, Brighton. He died aged 70
years and his death was registered in the second quarter of 1939 in the
Worthing registration district.

As John Beck
he married Louisa Woodgate in the third quarter of 1889 in the
Bethnel Green registration district. She may have died aged 80 years
and her death registered in the fourth quarter of 1950 in the North
Eastern Surrey registration district.

In 1891 the couple were living at 3 Gardener Street, Portslade, he was a 22 year old bricklayer and she was 21. When the
1901 census was recorded John was a master builder and the family were
living at 101 Old Shoreham Road, Portslade. His household then
comprised of his wife, their 5 children, his sister Kate and a 14
year old cousin, Rose Barney who was born in Hove (I think her name
should have been recorded as Rose Dorney and she was Louisa's niece
rather than a cousin). Their surname was recorded in the 1901 census
index as Becton, but on the actual census it looks like Becln. In
1911 the family were living at 14 Wolseley Road, Southern Cross,
Portslade. John was then a 42 year old Bricklayer and Louisa was a
41 year old shopkeeper. With them on census night were 5 of their
children.

During the 1920's my father thinks John kept pigs in Mile Oak, Portslade
and that he owned one of the first motor cars in the area.

John and
Louisa had 6 known children:

John Back was born on 7 January 1891 and baptised on 5 April 1891
in Portslade. In 1911 he was an unmarried 22 year old railway
labourer.

Jane Back
was born 1894 in Hove. In 1911 she was a 16 year old domestic
servent.

Charles Backwas born 1896 in Hove.

James Back
was born 1897 in Hove. He was a 15 year old farm labourer in 1911.

Rose Backwas born 1898 in Hove. In 1911 she was
13 years old and at school.

Kate Backwas born 1900 in Hove. In 1911 she was
11 years old and at school.

William Back was born on 13 June 1873 in Brighton. His birth
was registered in the third quarter of 1873 in the Brighton registration
district. He was baptised on 20 October 1873 at the Church of
Annunciation, Brighton as William Beck.

William married Louisa
Knight in the fourth quarter of 1894 in the Brighton district.

In 1901 William Back was a 28 year old bricklayer and he and Louisa, aged 31,
were living at 12 Aldis Street in Tooting Graveney, London. Louisa
then gave her place of birth as Lambeth, London.

Charles Back was born on 25 July 1875 in Brighton. He was
baptised on 18 October 1875 at the Church of Annunciation, Brighton as
Charles Beck. When the 1891 census was recorded he was living in
the home of his great aunt Jane along with his father and younger sister
and he was then a 15 year old labourer. According to the 1901 census index a Charles
Beck aged 23 years and born in Brighton was living in Leamington
Priors, Warwickshire as a tennis professional. No family stories
have been passed down about there having been a tennis player in the
family, so I don't think they are one and the same.

Susan Back was born in the first quarter of 1878 in the Brighton
registration district. She died aged 71 years and her death was
registered in the second quarter of 1949 in the Worthing registration
district.

Susan married Abraham Sherlock in the
third quarter of 1899 in the Lewes registration district.

Abraham
was born about 1875 in Beddingham, Sussex and was the son of Abraham
Sherlock (1836-1919) and Mercy Ansell (1842-1920). He
died aged 82 years and his death was registered in the third quarter of
1956 in the Worthing registration district.

When the
1901 census was recorded the couple were living on Toy Farm in Beddingham
and Abraham was an agricultural labourer. In 1911 the couple,
together with their son and nephew
Clement Willard, were living at 81 Edburton Spring in Small
Dole, Sussex. Abraham was then a 36 year old shepherd on a farm.
Susan was then 33 years old.

(My mother remembers that her parents had a friend called Chub Sherlock,
but she doesn't know any more about him and his family. Annie
Back, above, was my father's grandmother.)

Abraham and Susan had 1 known son:

Abraham Sherlock was born about 1903 in Beddingham,
Sussex. He was 8 years old when the 1911 census was recorded and
living with his parents in Small Dole.

Kate Back was born in the second quarter of 1880 in the Steyning
registration district. My dad remembers her as his dad's Aunt Kit.
She died of cancer aged 52 years in the second quarter of 1932 in the Steyning
district. She was 11 months old when the 1881 census was recorded.
In 1891 she was a 10 year old scholar. The 1901 census records that 21 year old Kate was a
laundry maid living with her brother. However, the 1901 census index
also records that there was a 21 year old Kate Beck an ironer
living in Brighton.

As Catherine Beck she married Mark
Goatcher on 20 December 1902 in Portslade. Mark was a carter and
Catherine a laundress. The witnesses were John Beck and
Rose Dorney.

Mark was born about 1878/9 in Portslade and was the son of
Mark Goatcher (1846-?) and Emma Gower (1837-?). Mark died
in 1962. In 1901 he was an unmarried 22 year old farm carter
living with his parents at Stonery Cottage in Portslade.

When the 1911 census was recorded, Mark was a 32 year old carter for a
contractor and he and his 30 year old wife Catherine and daughter, were
living in Mill Road, Fishersgate. Also with them on census night
was 3 year old niece Nellie Back and 20 year old nephew
Charles White.

Mark and Kate had the following child:

Constance Goatcher was born about 1908 in Fishersgate.
She was 3 years old in 1911.

NOTES

The witnesses to Kate Back and Mark Goatcher's 1902 marriage
were John Beck, who was most probably Kate's brother, and Rose
Dorney, who the sister of John's wife.

The 1901 census records that 34 year old Rose Dorney was a widow and
laundress who had been born in Brighton. She was then living at 117
Livingstone Road, Hove along with her 2 children:

Louisa Dorney was born about 1891

Albert Goble Dorney was born about 1899.

At that time she also had a boarder living with her; 34 year old
Albert Goble.
(He was the brother of another of my Great Grandmothers.) Albert
Edward Goble and Rose Hannah Dorney married in the second quarter
of 1901 in the Steyning registration district. He was the son of Edmund Goble
(c1841-1911) and Lydia Charlotte Pearson
(1837-1899).

A Rose Hannah Woodgate married Alfred William Dorney
(1866-1897) in the fourth quarter of 1886 in the Steyning district.

In 1881 Rose Woodgate was a 14 year old servant in the household of
Richard Gillam at 22 Goldstone Road, Hove. Her sister Louisa
Woodgate was then a 12 year old living at 10 St. Catherines Place, Hove
in the home of her step father John Dine (1851-?). Rose and
Louisa's parents were James Woodgate (1838-?) and Hannah Attwood
(1841-?).

At one point I had thought that Jane Back (further above) born in
1864, had married Frank Blaber (1863-?) in 1887, but now realise that
the Jane who married Frank was born about 1862 in Lewes. For details
about Frank, please visit the
Blaber Family Genealogy Project.